Whatever This Is
by RoonilWazlib
Summary: A mysterious stranger appears at Hermione Granger's doorstep five years after the war, who hasn't been seen for six years. Why does she feel the need to invite him into her life and help him?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, This idea has been brewing in my head for awhile now. My computer's hard drive crashed so right when I started thinking it up, I couldn't type it down! Let me tell you, it was torture. I actually had to resort to writing by hand…something I absolutely hate doing. But now, my computer's fixed and I'm able to save it all on here! Very exciting. Anyway, this is just a little boring intro chapter. I was planning on writing more, but it's late and Legally Blonde is on…(I have a short attention span). So please read and CRITIQUE! I always like to know ways to improve my writing. Oh, and…

Disclaimer: Obviously, these characters are not my own (well, Wendy is). I am merely using the characters that J.K. Rowling thought up. And they're just so fun to play with!

Whatever This Is

"So, as you can see, our team of specialists is quite prepared to embark on this new idea. If, or shall I say _when _we succeed, the result will open a whole new door of healing that has never been approached before. With your help, we will be able to travel through this door, and into a new era. Thank you so much, and have a wonderful evening."

Hermione Granger stepped off the podium on which she had been standing, uttered 'Quietus' under her breath while pointing her wand at her throat, and walked back to her seat to the applause of her audience.

'_Inhale, exhale, smile, relax'_ thought the young healer, sitting down next to the wizard whose appearance made her the envy of the female population of the large crowd.

"You sounded great Hermione. Won over the people."

She snorted slightly and smiled, shaking her head.

"I hate public speaking," she replied. "But thank you. I really appreciate you coming, Harry. Since Ron couldn't."

"He really wanted to, though," interjected Harry, always quick to jump to his friend's rescue.

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I _know. _I'm not accusing him. It's actually been nice to have a night out with you."

"Well, I think Ginny was glad to have a night _without _me. She was looking forward to her girl's night with Wendy."

"Wendy definitely was too. She'd probably like to see her Uncle Harry too, if you want to come over quickly. I think we're pretty much done here."

Harry screwed up his face in mock concentration.

"Hmm…let's see," he said, dragging the words out, "did we…eat?"

"Check."

"You gave your speech?"

"Check."

"Mingled?"

"Check."

"For five minutes!"

"Which was enough for these people!"

"Okay…danced?"

"With _you?" _

Harry glared at her sullenly.

"I'm not that bad."

She appraised him silently.

"Well, I'm not as bad as Ron," he muttered. Hermione grinned.

"That much is true. But for now, let's just go home. I told Wendy we'd get back before bedtime."

"Okay, then. Let's go."

The two friends stood up, waved to their tablemates, Hermione said goodbye to a few colleagues, and then they both disapparated with silent pops.

Both wizard and witch apparated simultaneously into the dark back yard, Harry immediately getting his wand and whispering 'lumos' to see as he turned around to search the darkness. Hermione marched ahead of him and began her unlocking charms. Before the door opened, Harry had run to catch up and stood behind her as she entered the dark kitchen.

"Ginny?" Hermione yelled out through the cottage.

"In the parlor!" A voice came from through the kitchen door. Hermione walked through to the large room where Ginny Weasley was sitting on the couch reading.

"Hey! How was she?" Hermione asked, walking over to the couch and dropping gracefully onto it. Harry had walked in behind her and Ginny kissed him quickly before answering.

"An angel, as always. One of these days I'll come and steal her away from you. She likes me better, after all." Ginny said with a grin and a defeated shrug of her shoulders. "She just went into her room to show me something, but she must have gotten wrapped up in something or other." Harry sat next to Ginny on the couch as Hermione yawned widely.

"Hmm. Okay, I'll go get her out here just as soon as I get…these…shoes…off. Ha!" Hermione finished triumphantly as she forced the tight heels off of her feet and dropped them on the floor. She stood up and walked out of the parlor.

Harry groaned tiredly.

"Hard night, Harry darling?" Ginny asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. His head dropped onto her shoulder.

"Oh, it was _terrible." _He retorted.

"Poor baby," Ginny whispered in his ear as she started to knead his shoulders with her small hands, to his delight.

"Wendy? Are you awake?" Hermione said softly knocking on the bedroom door she approached from the short hallway.

"Just reading," came a quiet voice from inside the room. Hermione entered, smiling.

"Hey bun, how was your night?" She asked, walking over to the small girl laying in her bed with a large book in her lap and shining red hair spread over her pillow.

"Fun!" Answered the girl happily. "Aunt Ginny made me some supper and then we listened to the wireless and read. She told me funny stories." Wendy giggled as if she was recollecting the tales. Suddenly her eyes widened and she looked excitedly towards Hermione.

"How was _your _night? Were there lots of im-port-ant people there?" She slowly sounded out the word important; it was a new word for the five-year-old. Hermione had sat down on the girl's bed and was leaning back next to her on the pillows.

"Well, none as important as your Uncle Harry and I of course," she replied as Wendy nodded eagerly, "but…hmm…let's see, there was the minister. And of course many colleagues of mine. The Malfoys, Parkinsons, Zabinis, all those important families, of course." She pursed her lips jokingly and thought, pretending to think of more people. She knew that she had said everything Wendy needed.

"Was…_Draco_ Malfoy there?" Wendy asked slowly, trying to sound not very interested (and failing, as most children do with deception). Hermione pretended to think for a few more dreadful moments before answering.

"Why, yes. I do believe I might've talked to him for awhile." Wendy clapped her hands.

"What did he say!"

"He'll be by to visit tomorrow." Hermione finally told her, poking the girl in her stomach.

Wendy giggled happily.

Since Draco had haltingly joined the Order of the Phoenix, with absolutely no one trusting him, he had slowly been working his way into the Weasley's, and Harry and Hermione's, lives. Five years after the war, they were all good friends, and Wendy Weasley was unnaturally obsessed with her 'Uncle Draco' (who wasn't even close to being her uncle, anyway).

"But for now, your Uncle Harry has come to pick up your Aunt Ginny, and is absolutely _dying _to see you." Hermione said to the girl, smiling, and laughing as she quickly marked her place in the book, set it down on her bedside table and ran out of the room. Hermione took a second to smooth the covers of the bed before following her into the parlor. She entered to see Harry spinning the girl around as she giggled happily. Ginny was smiling slightly wistfully as Harry finally landed Wendy on the ground and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Well, Munchkin, let's see how you're growing. Hmm…yes…yes…" He muttered thoughtfully as he looked from her feet to her head as Wendy stifled her laughter. "It's as I thought. Soon you'll be as tall as me. I'd give it a few days, maybe." He nodded to himself.

Wendy shook her head, although beaming from his scrutiny.

"Uncle Harry, you _know _that's not true! I won't be as tall as you for a long time, probably _never!" _She uttered intelligently. Harry put a hand to his heart.

"Ah, she's outsmarted me again!" He cried despairingly, Wendy, Ginny and Hermione all laughing good-naturedly. Ginny looked towards the grandfather clock in the corner of the room and noting the time, said,

"We should probably get going, you guys. Both Harry and I have to work tomorrow, and it's _someone's _bedtime." She lifted Wendy up pointedly and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight, Wendy. Thanks for letting me hang out with you tonight." She said. Wendy nodded happily and replied.

"It was no trouble at all, Aunt Ginny."

"Well, would you look at our hospitable girl. Night, munchkin," Harry said, ruffling Wendy's hair and kissing her forehead while she was still in Ginny's arms. Ginny set her down and walked over to Hermione, giving her friend a big hug.

"Thanks for taking this guy off my hands for the night," She said, gesturing to the indignant Harry. "Owl me about lunch tomorrow, okay?"

Hermione nodded to her.

"I'll do that. Goodnight Ginny. Goodnight Harry." Harry gave her a hug after Ginny let the woman go and kissed her cheek.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Hermione."

She squeezed him quickly before letting him go and picking Wendy up as they all said goodnight and Harry and Ginny disapparated. Hermione yawned widely with Wendy following the action a moment later.

"I think _I'm _ready for bed, too. Let's get you back to your room." Wendy nodded sleepily, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder as she carried her into her room and set her under the covers of her bed.

"Tightly," Wendy instructed, muffled against her pillow. Hermione obeyed, tucking the girl's blankets tightly around her small body before kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight, bun." Hermione said before leaving the room. Wendy replied.

"Goodnight, Hermione. See you in the morning."

"See you tomorrow."

The witch closed the door quietly on her way out.

Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: It's mine! MINE! ALL MINE! J.K. Rowling? Who's that? HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO MEEEEEEEEEE! I wish…wow, so that's what comes out of a bottle of coke this early…only the idea is mine…sadly enough…

A/N: It's the question on everyone's mind…who exactly _is _Wendy Weasley?

Will anyone ever find out?

You'll find out either on this chapter…or maybe (probably) the next one…wherever my writing takes me.

June W is on the right track with one part of her review, if you want to go read it…

Speaking of that, thank you reviewers!

And also, Ron IS in the picture. He just hasn't appeared quite yet. But he will inthe nextchapter.

Now, without further ado, I give you…

Whatever This Is

Chapter 2

"HERMIONE GRANGER!" A voice yelled out through the street as aforementioned witch quickly followed it, smiling awkwardly at people who were gaping at her.

"Ginny! I'm right here!" Hermione called back when she finally saw the petite red-haired witch standing outside a restaurant. She rushed over to her.

"Well, you were late. Thought you might've been wrapped up in some of those fans of yours." Ginny smiled mischievously as they both walked into their favorite Diagon Alley café, Susan's Place (owned by the trio's fellow graduate Susan Bones).

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I had to wait for Draco to come over. He's taking Wendy riding today." She grimaced at the thought of Wendy loving to sit on horse's backs and gallivant around.

"He spoils her, doesn't he?" Ginny asked, sitting down at a small table for two.

"Well, don't we all?" Hermione replied. "So what's Harry doing today?"

"Working. He really didn't want to this morning, but they needed him to keep searching for the infamous what's-his-name. You know, the robber." Hermione nodded, and looked thoughtfully over Ginny's head before smiling slyly.

"So, you stayed at Harry's again last night? You're practically living at his place now, you know."

Ginny smiled slightly before replying.

"Well, you'll be the first to know this, but we're thinking of just moving in together."

Hermione beamed.

"Ginny, that's wonderful! It's about time. But, well, I know everyone else is nagging you two about this, and I just…"

Ginny's faced darkened considerably. "Then don't, Hermione. _Don't." _Hermione frowned slightly.

"You didn't even know what I was going to say." She said quietly. Ginny narrowed her eyes as if saying 'Yeah, right.' "I might've said that I know everyone else is nagging you, but I wondered if you've decided to throw a birthday party…for me." Hermione cringed slightly and Ginny looked as if she was about to laugh.

"Well, we _are _planning a birthday party for you, but of course, it's going to be a surprise. So, if that's all you wanted to know?" She glared at her, but Hermione wasn't about to give up.

"Actually, I was wondering one more thing." Ginny shook her head warningly. "Gin, you guys are perfect for each other. You've been engaged for _four years; _don't you think it's time?"

Ginny looked down at her plate that had just appeared on the table with her usual meal on it. She looked up and smiled her thanks to Susan at the front counter before mumbling something to Hermione about 'our jobs'.

"Oh, _don't _give me the 'our jobs' thing. Harry's job is fine. Your job is fine. You're both completely settled into your jobs, and happy there. Don'tyou _want _to get married?"

Ginny finally looked up sharply with a determined glint in her eye.

"Of course I do Hermione! I want him as a husband, I want children, I want everything! But he's just…still…I don't know how to bring it up to him. I don't know if he still wants to get married, after postponing it all these years."

"Are you kidding me? Of course he wants to get married! He loves you, Ginny, and has always wanted a family. I'd bet anything he's thinking the same thing you are. One of you just needs to bring it up."

Ginny's eyes turned hopeful and she smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Hermione. I could bring the same thing up with you, you know."

Hermione groaned.

"We're not even engaged, Ginny. Marriage is a long way off. We have Wendy, we both have wonderful jobs, and I'm happy with our life. You should understand."

"I understand that you and Ron aren't married, and neither are Harry and I. I'm just not sure that you have the same reason that I do."

Hermione looked into Ginny's eyes pleadingly.

"Just drop it, please? It isn't the time to think about this stuff. Let's just eat."

Ginny nodded reluctantly and continued eating.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Hermione called out as she walked into her cottage's front door after lunch.

"In here, Hermione," came a deep voice from the kitchen. She followed it to find Draco Malfoy cooking at the stove and Wendy sitting at a stool at the counter.

"Afternoon, darling," Hermione said to Wendy, dropping a kiss on her head. "How was riding?"

Draco answered her question.

"It was wonderful. Wendy pleaded with me to let her come live at my place and ride horses all the time, but I just couldn't do something like that to my dear Hermione." Wendy giggled and Hermione smiled slightly.

"Yes, I'm sure. What are you making? And don't you have house elves to do all your work for you?" Hermione asked mockingly, sitting next to Wendy and placing her elbows on the hard granite counter.

"Well, of course I do, love. I couldn't expect them to come to this dump and cook for us. I figured Wendy was about the right size, but she told me she couldn't cook." He shook his head at her disapprovingly and Wendy giggled. "And I'm making pasta a la Malfoy. It's my specialty."

Wendy leaned over to Hermione slyly and whispered, "He means macaroni and cheese."

Hermione laughed and Draco glared mockingly at Wendy. The doorbell rang suddenly and Hermione jumped slightly.

"I'll get that. It's probably Ginny; she said she might come over. Are you staying for tea, Malfoy?" She asked, turning her head to look at him as she walked towards the front room.

"Stay, Draco!" Wendy pleaded with him.

"Well, my house elf has decided it for me. Tell Ginny she's welcome to have some pasta a la Malfoy!" He said back to her as Hermione walked into the front room. She laughed good-naturedly and opened the door with a smile.

A tall figure was standing on her doorstep, wearing black robes with a hood, hunched over slightly to hide its face (she couldn't tell if it was a man or woman).

Hermione's wand was immediately out and pointing in the general vicinity of the figure's throat.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

A shaking hand with long pale fingers rose up and pulled the black hood back. Hermione gasped, struggling to hold onto her wand, which has suddenly started to slip in her sweaty hands.

"Aren't you taking the 'never trust strangers' thing a bit far, Miss Granger?" He asked (for she definitely knew that it was a he now). Hermione tried to take control of her voice and finally asked,

"What are you doing here? Who else is there? Malfoy, Lestrange?" She asked, masking her voice and making it sound steady.

"Do you honestly think I would tell you if I had back-up, Miss Granger? Glad you didn't go into the auror business. I'm alone, anyway. And I'm not trying to kill you, although you most likely don't believe me."

He straightened slightly and looked down at her with an eyebrow raised as she remained speechless. She was still glaring suspiciously at his face, and periodically looking down to make sure he didn't have a wand in his hand.

"Well? Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Give me one good reason, _Snape."_

He smirked and opened his mouth to most likely say some sarcastic comment, changed his mind, and closed his mouth. He looked pained for a moment, his mouth twisting into a grimace. His breath suddenly turned ragged. His mouth opened again.

"I need..." He got out with his teeth gritted, "your help." He finished. "I need your help," He said again, quietly.

Hermione couldn't help it, her eyes widened slightly in pity. She thought to herself for a moment, before narrowing her eyes and finally just _looking _at him. His black robes that had always been meticulously clean during school were ragged and dirty. She realized that he had not been hunched over to hide his face. He was just _hunched over_. She saw that one of his hands was gripping a large stick posing as a cane, and the other was at his side, still shaking. Hermione finally looked back at his face. It was pale, more than the remembered. It looked…shaken, tired. Desperate, careful, hurt. Even the best actor couldn't make a face like that. It was his face that decided her.

Hermione cast a quick spell to check if he was armed. He didn't have a wand. She looked at his face again, the black eyes desperate, and nodded.

"Come in."

REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All ownership of the Harry Potter world goes to J.K. Rowling. Happy?

A/N: First of all, I have to thank all my reviewers! I wouldn't be able to go on without your wonderful feedback.

And you all seem to have questions…don't worry, all will be revealed in due time.

Whatever This Is

Chapter 3

At Hermione's invitation, the man on her doorstep let out a small breath. Hermione's frown deepened as she stepped aside to let him walk into her house, not being able to stop the continued thought reeling in her head of _'what am I doing?'. _She cleared her throat, composing herself and preparing something to say, something to mask her uncertainty.

"You can…sit down." She said quietly, gesturing to the couch. He nodded, looking at her curiously, before leaning his 'cane' up against the furniture and carefully lowering himself onto it. Hermione grimaced, noticing the tracks of mud he had brought in to her clean carpet. She sighed, casting a quick cleaning spell and glancing back towards Snape, who was looking at her blankly. She turned away quickly, clearing her throat again.

"Malfoy, could you come in here please?" She yelled into the kitchen, looking back at Snape to gauge his reaction to the name. The wizard's face was blank. Hermione's frown, already sunk to its deepest point, stretched even further down. His face had been so…emotional, just seconds before. And now it was as if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. She bit her lip, something she hadn't done for years, having deemed it immature.

"Hermione, what's –" Malfoy entered the room, and stopped talking when he saw the figure on the couch. His grey eyes widened considerably and he took a step backwards, as if to walk out of the room. Snape finally lost his blank look to shoot a hate-filled glare towards Draco, who gulped. Hermione narrowed her eyes questioningly, and Malfoy shook his head slightly.

"You," she pointed to Draco, "stay here. I need to go talk to Wendy." She cast a quick look towards Snape. "I'll be right back." He didn't seem to hear her, still glaring at Malfoy, who looked at Hermione pleadingly. She jerked her head toward the couch, and he frowned at her, before walking over to it.

"So! Severus!" He started in a strained tone. "Haven't seen you in a few years!" Hermione heard the quiet murmur of a low voice, undoubtedly Snape, and tried to hear what he was saying. Her thoughts were brought out of this when she entered the kitchen and encountered Wendy, a bowl of macaroni in her hands, who looked behind Hermione, trying to see into the parlor.

"Do we have more company for tea?" She asked innocently. Hermione shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"You're going to have to go to your room, Wendy." Hermione spoke in her quiet, no nonsense tone. "You can eat that in there." Wendy looked curiously out into the hallway again before nodding and walking out the doorway. Hermione turned towards a cupboard to get teacups, glancing back to see Wendy back-tracking towards the parlor.

"Wendy!" She called out warningly. The girl turned back guiltily.

"I'll go to my room now."

Hermione kept her eyes on Wendy as she walked towards her room, finally turning back to magically heat the tea left over on the stove from earlier. She grabbed three differently patterned tea cups, pouring mint tea into each of them, before walking towards her potion cabinet, retrieving a headache potion. She poured a small amount into her cup, mentally measuring out the appropriate amount. She tested it, sighing at the already apparent relief to her growing headache. The witch walked back to put it away, glancing at the potion next to it, for miscellaneous pain relief.

With a small shrug, she picked up the pain relief potion and thought for a moment before pouring a few drips of the crystalline blue substance into a separate cup of the tea, where it mixed into the tea almost instantly. She impulsively put a drop of another substance into the tea. She contemplated which different teacups had the different potion in them before expertly floating them into the air wordlessly and walking back to the parlor with the 3 cups hovering serenely around her. Before making her entrance known, Hermione listened curiously to what her guests were saying.

"I was just –"she heard Malfoy say.

"You were just being a coward!"

"Yes, Severus. Maybe I was. Anyone sane, I believe, would fear going back to a place where he would almost certainly die." Malfoy's voice had its regular drawling, sarcastic tone, but Hermione could tell that he was worked up about something.

"You knew." Snape's voice was menacingly quiet. "You knew, and you didn't even risk it."

"I thought you were dead." Draco countered, sounding slightly guilty. Hermione had had enough of eaves-dropping, and entered the room with a small, hesitant smile.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," she announced herself, directing Draco and Snape's teacups to them with her wand. "There you are, Draco. And one for you, Prof…er, Mist…sir." She finished weakly, not knowing how to address this former professor/order member/death eater. She grasped her cup from its position beside her and sat on the chair facing the couch, continuing to smile hesitantly. She looked towards Draco, who was gazing at pictures on the mantelpiece distractedly. Her gaze switched to Snape, who was raising the tea to his thin lips.

"Oh! I put a pain relief potion in that, sir. You seemed like you needed it…not that I'm trying to be overbearing or presuming too much. I just thought it might help." She blew a breath out, glaring at Malfoy for his smirk. She wasn't usually this…well…flustered! _Why I'm acting like a nervous Hogwarts student around a scary professor! _She drew a deep, composed breath, looking at Snape to see his reaction. She was startled, and indignant, to see that he had put his cup down without taking a sip.

"If you're not in any pain it will just be plain tea, sir." He nodded slightly, still not taking a sip, but instead looking at the mantelpiece as Draco was doing.

"For Merlin's sake, I didn't poison it!" She said in only a bit of a shriek, exasperated at his behavior. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, still not taking a sip.

"Whose child is that? Not yours and Weasley's?"

"No," she muttered, annoyed at his change of subject.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Granger?"

"No. She was born a month before the war ended and-"

"Her parents?"

"Killed. Bill and Fleur Weasley. Did you know?" She couldn't help but shoot him an accusing glance.

"I knew they had died. I did not know they had a child. How did she come to live with you and your…Weasley?"

Hermione smiled slightly, recalling what Dobby had used to call Ron: "Harry and his wheezy".

"Ron was there when Bill died. He asked him to protect Wendy, to take care of her. Others offered to take her in, but Ron took Bill's words to heart. Ron had been her favorite uncle, and…well, I was closer to her than Ginny or Charlie's wife at the time. So now we're her parents. Most people suspect that we _are _her parents. She has the Weasley hair."

Snape smirked slightly and nodded. He then took his teacup and sipped silently. Hermione rolled her eyes. He noticed of course, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I was just waiting for it to cool, Miss Granger."

She felt the sudden impulse to either let out a frustrated scream or a crazed laugh. And fought the urge of both. She looked towards Draco, who was still purposefully avoiding anyone's glance. She wondered what was going on with him. _Okay, let's get down to business. _She took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes for a second before looking determinedly at Snape with a set mouth.

"Why did you come here?"

He looked toward her and answered abruptly. "I need your help." His eyes widened slightly. "Veritaserum, Miss Granger? I didn't know you had it in you."

"It's only one drop, and a modified version. We have about a half hour, and it's no use to fight it." She suddenly smirked, one to rival his own. "I'm going to need some answers, Professor. Let's get started."


	4. Chapter 4

**Whatever This Is**

**Chapter 4**

Hermione's thoughts were going haywire as she formulated her first question for the man. On the outside, she simply took another sip of her tea and looked at him calmly.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Why did you kill Professor Dumbledore?" Although she was trying to be calm, there was a slight tremor in her voice, and she had to fight the tears wanting to come into her eyes. Hermione Granger hated death, and she feared it. She hadn't seen anyone die until the final battle, and she had thought she could handle it. She healed people in the hospital wing carefully and exceptionally with tears falling down her cheeks. When the last patient had been treated, she promptly walked to the bathroom and threw up all of the grief and madness boiling inside her.

"I killed him because he told me to."

Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly. Asked him to because of…sacrifice, a higher position with Voldemort (still a spy?) and…(Harry's lessons?) he knew he would die (the poison and…Slytherin's ring?). Her eyes widened as she glanced sharply at Snape.

"He was already dying, wasn't he?"

"5 points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger."

She rolled her eyes impatiently and glanced at Draco quickly, who was looking back at her. Her eyes asked him a question, and he answered with a frown and shake of his head. She didn't know what this was doing to him…and why. She turned back to the man being questioned with a blaze in her eyes.

"Tell me everything."

"It started with the fact that the Dark Lord had given Mr. Malfoy here," she noticed Draco cringe, "the task of killing Albus. Narcissa was worried for him, so asked me to protect him, to enter into an unbreakable vow. One of the conditions of the vow was to do Draco's job for him if he could not. You must understand, Miss Granger, that I had no choice but to enter into the vow. I could show no possibility that my loyalty lie on the opposite side. I informed the headmaster of these happenings almost immediately, and we both knew that he was dying. I had treated him when he came back with Slytherin's ring. There was nothing that could be done. We knew that he _would _die, although we weren't sure when.

"I was still searching for a cure when he told me that should Draco prove unable to kill him, I should do it on his orders, rather than leave the vow unfulfilled and die. He told me that at least then his death could possibly mean something, and he could save Draco from redemption. I would move up in the ranks of the Dark Lord, and I did. I would be able to help the Order even more. Of course, I protested, but in the end…it had to be done, Miss Granger. I did what I had to, and I don't regret it."

Here she sighed, looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"But…why did the story never come out? His portrait could've – "

"I believe that Albus figured this new explanation would just bring chaos to the order. And in case any order members were in a position to give the Dark Lord information, whether willingly or not, they could truthfully say that I was on the side of the dark."

"Then how were you able to help us, if everyone in the order thought you were evil?"

"I had a contact."

Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't want to pry so deeply into his part, but the curiosity overwhelmed her. "Who was it?"

He smirked slightly. "I believe the Veritaserum is wearing off, Miss Granger. Although I would've answered your questions truthfully without it."

She glanced at the clock. "But it hasn't been…"

"I have a strong mind, as you should know."

She frowned. "I worked so hard on it."

"And it was a commendable job. You just didn't have any good test subjects. I have some journals you could look at about fighting the effects."

She fought to repress her want for these journals, nodding in interest but not saying anything. After all, she wasn't a book-crazed student any longer. She was a book-crazed adult. And that meant that she'd toned it down a bit.

Draco was distracted, Hermione could tell. His eyes kept flitting back and forth between Snape and herself, and she could see beads of sweat dancing on his forehead. She stopped studying him as Snape began to talk again.

"Now, I know you have more questions to ask. Would you like to trick me again, or can you trust me now to answer truthfully?" He asked sarcastically, a wry twist to his lips. She fought the urge to blush and instead continued to her question.

"So, you say you had a contact." (But who _was _it?) "And you did contribute to the war?" Here he nodded. "Then why didn't you appear during the battle?" Hermione already had a suspicion about his answer to this question, but didn't want to presume too much.

"Miss Granger, just because I didn't rip my mask off, fight with the order against the Dark Lord, and then demand an Order of Merlin First Class as soon as the battle was over does not mean I wasn't there. You'd be surprised to know my actual role. Do you recall a death eater disarming the Dark Lord?" He raised an eyebrow as if suspecting her to know something.

"I _knew _it! _You_ were the one that disarmed Voldemort right near the end! I told everyone that it had been a death eater, but no one believed me!"

"You think the Dark Lord would allow the enemy to get a spell in?"

"That's what I kept telling people!" Her face glowed from the pleasure of having been right all along, and she noticed Snape with what could _possibly_ be a smile on his face. A beat later, and Hermione was confused again.

"But what happened after that? Why didn't you come to us, or reveal yourself?"

"It had been my plan to simply disappear after the war for different reasons. The main one being that I just wanted to live my life in peace and alone. Lucius Malfoy had other plans."

Here Hermione's eyes widened and she looked to Draco, who was looking directly at Snape with a pained expression. He looked back at him with a glare.

"Would you like to tell the next part, Draco? No? Then I will reveal what I know.

"Draco returned to Malfoy Manor for a short amount of time. Narcissa had called him there with the promise that Lucius was gone and she just wanted to talk. The topic of their conversation, I believe, was to save me. I was down in their dungeons, weak after the final battle and the constant torturing that Lucius was enjoying with me. He refused to help her, as she told me, and left. In the next few days, which I can hardly remember, she was eventually able to get me a wand. Lucius found her a moment later, and killed her before I was able to get to him. I had power enough to stun him and run out so I could apparate out. Since then I have been hiding out, as he has been constantly looking for me."

Hermione shook her head sympathetically before Draco suddenly stood up.

"I'm sorry Hermione, there's somewhere I need to be. Can I come by later?" She nodded, concerned, as he walked out of parlor and into the backyard to disapparate.

"If he had helped, his mother might still be alive. And Lucius might be gone." Snape glared at the doorway he had went through, and Hermione in turn glared defiantly at Snape.

"Or they might both be dead. He was scared. The war affected him more than you can know. You don't know what might've happened."

He nodded once, and appeared to be thinking.

"So why do you need my help? Why did you come here?" He looked her directly in the eyes, and the depth of his gaze both scared and intrigued her.

"I'm dying, Miss Granger."

Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she began to think.

"Is it a curse that Malfoy cast, sir? Or perhaps a – "

"Nothing like that. It's something infuriatingly muggle, something that most wizards don't have to deal with it. My father had it."

"A muggle disease, then. But very rarely are they inescapable. Muggles really have quite a few ways of overcoming them, and I know of a healer at St. Mungo's who specializes in healing them."

"I have cancer, Miss Granger. Stage four of colon cancer. There is no escaping it, even in the wizarding world."

"And you want me to search for a cure? I know nothing about cancer or how to even begin – "

"No. I need help with something else. I am suffering from the long term effects of the cruciatus curse, which I believe is your course of study?"

"Yes, we're in the midst of finding a cure. Of course, the long term effects are different for each person, but we believe that the main way of curing people is the same. But then…what about cancer?"

"Miss Granger, due to the cruciatus, I am in almost constant pain, of which no potions seem able to stop. I would like you to cure me of this, so I can die in peace."

"Then…you're simply giving up?" She leaned in slightly, as if she hadn't heard him correctly. He simply looked at her disparagingly.

"A completely Gryffindor kind of thing to say. _Yes, _Miss Granger, I suppose you could say I'm giving up. I have lived my life, and it has not been a particularly good one. There's no chance I will live to the end of this year, and I know that to be a fact. I've accepted it. Are you going to help me or not?"

She imagined him holding out his hand. In her mind she grasped it, knowing that she would help him in more than one way.

"Yes, I will help you."

Maybe Harry's 'saving people' thing had transcended onto her, but Hermione was suddenly plagued with a need to do more for him than he even wanted. She would find a cure for his cancer, even if he didn't want her to. After all, when Hermione Granger set her mind to something, she never did fail. And she wouldn't this time.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Severus Snape had left, with Hermione promising to keep in touch when she found something out. Her mind was reeling with all she had found out in the span of one day, and she worked to not appear as frazzled on the outside as she was on the inside. Feeling she had neglected Wendy long enough, she went to check on the girl, who was (surprise) reading a book. (Hermione wondered, not for the first time, if she was _sure _that Wendy wasn't related to her).

"Do you want me to read to you, sweetie?" She asked, going over to her bed and sitting down. Wendy shot her an exasperated look before closing the book propped up on her stomach.

"I'm too _old _for that, Hermione!"

Hermione hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Oh, that's right! What are you now, six?"

"Not quite," the girl answered with a shy smile. She suddenly looked sad. "Did Draco leave?"

"I'm afraid so, but he'll be back in awhile, so don't you worry."

Wendy smiled and looked curious. "Who was over here?"

"That was…an old friend of mine. He needs some help from me."

She nodded affirmatively. "It was good he came to you. You're the best helper."

Hermione smiled, settling in beside the girl on the bed. "Well, I don't know about that. Now, since you won't let me read _to _you, do you have another book I could read?"

Wendy smiled happily, reaching to her bedside table and grabbing a small chapter book. "I just finished this one. I think you're really going to like it. Do you want to talk about it after you're done?"

"Sure, but I don't know if I can read as fast as you!"

Wendy blushed, and they both settled down to read.

* * *

When Draco arrived later on, he acted as if nothing had happened, and Hermione didn't question him, wanting to wait for him to want to talk about it. She sent him off to play with Wendy before she went to her study to do some work and send an owl to the healer she knew that specialized in muggle medicine as well as wizarding.

Hours later, she was slumped over her desk, fast asleep. Draco knocked on her door before entering.

"I put Wendy to bed, she – Hermione? Hey, you awake?" He prodded her shoulder and she mumbled something indiscernible. He prodded her again and she turned her head.

"I was just resting my eyes, there's still more I need to do." He scooted her chair back and picked the tired women up, to her protestations.

"Draco! I'm really not that tired, please put me down!"

He did put her down, but not until he had reached her bed.

"I want to go home, and I have to make sure you're safely in bed before I leave. I can't trust you to get to bed yourself when you wear yourself out like this."

"Draco?" She sat up in bed and pursed her lips nervously. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you help him? Why didn't you try, when you knew he was on our side?"

"I…I don't know. I guess I didn't think I could. I believed I would cause both our deaths."

Hermione yawned widely, prompting a returned yawn from Draco. She recalled something Madame Pomfrey had told her before they cared for patients during the final battle, and said it to Draco.

"The first step to helping others…is to believe in yourself."

"I guess I still need to work on that. G'night love." He kissed her on the forehead as she replied, before smiling slightly and walking out of the room, turning off his light on the way.

Hermione got under the covers without bothering to change clothes. She was beyond tired, and although she had been fast asleep moments before, she couldn't get to sleep now. She was remembering what Snape had said near the end of his visit. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her again.

They had both stood up, and she walked him to the back door, where he could disapparate safely.

"Thank you for your courtesy, Miss Granger."

She nodded with a smile, and he began to walk out the door. She stopped him with a word.

"Sir?"

He turned back with an eyebrow raised.

"Who was your contact?"

He smiled wryly, acknowledging the second time she had asked the question before answering.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley."

And he walked towards the middle of her backyard and disapparated.


End file.
